Revealed by Fire
by Aggie Escott
Summary: A fire in a down town warehouse reveals something sinister is being stored there.
1. Discovery

**A/N – I have just been watching Dharma and Greg, so if my Hotch is a little Greggy, I apologise**

**Revealed by Fire  
**Chapter 1  
Discovery

"_**True love is friendship, caught on fire." ANON**_

Gayton the fire chief looked in anger as the flames reached new heights. This was an abandoned building, no lives were in danger, except his crew, who were risking injury to save a building that would be better off flattened anyway.

Most of the interior was gone, and the exterior walls were now unsafe.

He called his men back. It wasn't worth any more fire fighters lives on this one.

By the time the fire had finished, they were just damping down the remains, and checking for arson. It was almost always arson, and it confused him. He got a great satisfaction from putting out fires. These crazy people got satisfaction from setting them. He sighed, and joined his men in looking for places where the fire, or fires started.

He noticed one of his men suddenly jump back from the debris he was examining.

'Oh my god!' the man exclaimed. Gayton made his way across the fire damaged floor to him.

'What is it?'

'I thought this building was empty. We checked, I swear it was empty!'

Gayton looked to where his man was staring. There was a body – charred and destroyed, but the shape and smell was very familiar.

'There's more than one.' he said, shining his torch around where he was standing. 'Get the police down here. These people didn't die in the fire. The bodies were already here.'

-0-0-0-

Hotch was eating in his office. He had picked up a chicken tikka wrap on the way to work and it was horrible. He tossed it in the bin and bent down and unlocked his bottom drawer. There was a bottle of expensive scotch there and two glasses. He toyed with the idea of having a tiny drop, when someone knocked on his door. He closed the drawer guiltily.

'Uh..... come in.' he called, and Spencer shyly entered his office.

'I need to t-talk to you.' he said, stammering slightly.

'I know. It's time, I think.'

Hotch got up and locked the door. This was one conversation that he didn't want disturbed.

'There are unanswered questions, Spencer. Is that what you need to talk about?'

Reid nodded and sat in the chair opposite Hotch's desk. Hotch pulled his chair round so that the desk wasn't between them any more.

'I don't want to transfer, Aaron. Would you let me stay?'

'Oh Spencer, Spencer, I would never force you to go. But have you thought this through? I cannot love you, not in the way you crave. I am so sorry, you are like a son to me, and as such, I want you close. But if you need to move on, can you do that if I am with you all the time?'

'Hotch, when I thought that Hesk had killed you, I gave up living inside. I didn't want to be rescued. I thought I had caused your death, It made life not worth living. I don't think I could cope with life if I wasn't close to you. If '_storge_' love is what you offer, I accept.'

Hotch leaned forward and took Spencer's hands in his. 'My love for you is '_agape_', Spencer. I hope it is enough.'

The moment was broken by a knock on the door. Hotch released Reid's hands and went to unlock it. It was JJ.

'We have a case.'

-0-0-0-

The photographs that JJ distributed around the room were not pretty. Most of the dead were burned beyond recognition or decomposed down to a skeleton. Two of them however had been protected by other bodies, and were still recognisable as human.

'These bodies were recovered after a fire destroyed an old warehouse in the city centre.' JJ said. 'None of them died in the fire though, and arson investigators do not think that the arson and the murders are connected.'

'How many bodies are there?' Morgan asked, looking at the horrific images in front of him.

Twenty four discovered so far, died over a period of about ten years.'

Hotch was reading the arson investigators report. 'He believes that this has uncovered a serial killer's lair?' he asked. JJ nodded. 'Then we will take the case. Wheels up in fifteen. Let's go.'

-0-0-0-

'The first thing we need before we go anywhere is a plan of the destroyed building.' Hotch said. 'Reid, will you do that? And Garcia, get as many of the victims' names, and cross reference them with missing persons. We should get some hits.'

Morgan and Prentiss had the victims' photographs spread over the table between them and were examining them. Hotch thought it was sad how his best team members were able to look at pictures like these, and not feel sick to the stomach. Instead, they were discussing the pictures like they were holiday snaps.

But he knew that these same agents could be haunted by the pictures in their dreams. He wondered, not for the first time, how they could stare into the abyss and not get dragged down into it.

It had happened. Gideon, who was so fond of that quote, had been dragged down. Allowed himself to be? Hotch wasn't sure if he had any choice. So far, his team were hanging on.

As the jet came into land, Prentiss scooped up the photos and put them back in the envelope, and they got ready to land.

They all knew their assignments, and so, when the PD met them with cars at their disposal, they split up, each to their own tasks.

Hotch went with Morgan to view the crime scene. Not that there was much to see apart from charred wreckage. All the bodies had been removed, and there was little left for the profilers to see, other than two areas taped off.

'The two who were recognisable were in this area.' a voice from behind said.

Hotch turned around to see one of the fire investigators standing watching them.

'I guess you are the Feds sent to sort this mess out.' he said.

Hotch extended his hand. 'I'm Agent Aaron Hotchner, this is my colleague, Agent Derek Morgan. Yes, we were sent for and are hoping that we will be able to track down who did this.'

'I hope you can.' the investigator replied. 'It's got half the city terrified, especially how the newspapers reported it; a serial killer in out midst. It's got people afraid of their own family.'

He turned away, and returned to his equipment. Hotch called after him.

'Can you show us where the fires were set?' he asked. The man showed Hotch a ground plan with the sites marked off.

'You can keep that.' he said.

Hotch thanked him and put the plan in his pocket.

-0-0-0-

Back at the police head quarters, Emily had been getting together some causes of death. It wasn't possible in most of the cases, since the bodies were little more than skeletons, but the more resent ones, COD was the same every time – torture and beating.

'The most recent body is only about a month old, Hotch. This killer may not have finished.'

'I don't think he has.' Hotch said. 'But he will be looking for a new body dump now.'

Reid had taped the plan of the building to the wall, and had marked several areas with a red pen.

'These are the places where the bodies may have been hidden.' he said. 'Although they were all found on the ground floor, they might have been stored higher in the building and fallen through in the fire.'

'You said "stored".' Morgan said. 'Why do you use that word?'

'Most serial killers like to return to the bodies and interact with them. It could be that the bodies are kept for a while somewhere else, and when it is time to replace them, they are stored in the warehouse where they are fairly easily accessible in the future.'

'Try to find any likely places he would now use, Reid. Let's see if we can pre empt him.'

'We don't know how long he keeps the bodies for before he needs to store them.' Emily said.

'And until we have some identification of at least some of the victims, we are stuck.' Dave added.

'See if you can help Penelope with that, Morgan.' Hotch said.

Morgan called Garcia up on the lap top. She had failed to ID any of the victims. The autopsies had shown that many of the victims had likely never been to a dentist, so dental records didn't exist.

'I think they might have been homeless people.' she said, 'And if so, it will be almost impossible to id them.

'Let's assume that these victims are local. We can get down to the streets and show the picture of the latest victim and see if anyone knows who he is.' Dave said. 'We might get someone remembering.'

'Good idea.' Hotch said. 'Let's get on it'

-0-0-0-

Hotch went with Dave to an area of town where the homeless made the best of life under a freeway overpass. They showed the picture of the latest victim, but no one could remember seeing him. After about an hour of fruitless searching, they started to walk back to the car.

As they approached the SUV they noticed several of the people they had been talking to were standing by it, and facing them off. Hotch and Reid tried to walk through them. One of them pushed Dave.

'Don't come back up here asking questions and upsetting the women.' he said to Dave. 'Life is hard enough.'

Hotch put his hand on his gun. 'We are Federal Agents. Please stand back.'

The small group closed in on Reid, separating the two men. Hotch drew his gun, but they were too close and Hotch couldn't raise it. He heard Dave shouting at them to get off him, and a startled cry as he fell under the mob.

'Dave!'

Hotch tried to push his way through to him, but he was being held back as they started to kick the fallen agent. He heard Dave cry out as the mob laid into him. He tried to raise the gun above his head and shoot over their heads, but someone grabbed his wrist and twisted it, and the gun fell from his grip. He saw someone pick it up as he was pushed to the ground. He could see Dave through their legs and he tried to reach through to him, but someone stood on his hand.

He yelped in pain and tried to pull it back, but they started kicking him, and he wrapped the other arm over his head for protection.

Dave was trying to get back on his feet. He had seen Hotch go down, and needed to help him, but the kicks raining down on him were making it impossible to get up and each kick was like a stab wound. He raised his hands in front of his face.

'Stop! We are Fed.....'

A vicious kick to the side of the head, and Dave was dizzy and disoriented. He could see Hotch trying to get up, and suddenly someone fired a gun.

Then everything went dark.

-0-0-0-

The mob stood back and looked down at the two unconscious men.

'Now what?' asked one of them.

'Well, we only need one. Choose which one, and kill the other one.'

They chose, and left him standing there with Hotch's gun in his hand.

It would be so easy. Just point the weapon at his head, pull the trigger, and it would be over. No witnesses. They'd be home free. But he couldn't do it. He had killed before, but only in a gun fight. He had never shot an unconscious man before, and it went against even his shaky morals.

He watched the others push the other man into the SUV and turn the engine on, then he looked again at the man at his feet. He pointed the gun, and put his finger on the trigger.

The bullet hit the ground beside his head.

Then he went back to his corner and watched the SUV drive away.


	2. Van Ride

**Revealed by Fire  
**Chapter 2  
Van Ride

"_**He who fights with monsters might take care lest he thereby become a monster.." – Friedrich Nietzsche**_

Dave opened his eyes painfully. At least one booted foot had made contact, and he thought his face was bleeding from several gashes.

He needed to help Aaron; that was the last thing that he could remember. He turned slowly onto his front, and hauled himself onto his hands and knees. He thought that every part of his body was bruised or bleeding, and at least one broken rib dug where it shouldn't as he moved.

Aaron. He had to help him.

Dave looked around, but he wasn't there. He expected to see him in the same kind of condition that he was in, but he couldn't see him.

He reached for his phone.

'Morgan, we were attacked.' he managed to say through bloodied lips, then he passed out once again on the pavement.

-0-0-0-

At the city limits, an SUV pulled up in a quiet car park among some trees. Four people jumped out, and dragged and unconscious person after them. Dumping the body in the long grass at the edge of the car park, one of the men shoved a strip of cloth into the gas tank and set light to it, and hunkered down in the grass next to Aaron.

When the car blew, he felt the heat from it, and it took his breath away. He noticed that his prisoner was regaining consciousness, and he called the others over to keep him under control until they got him in the old van that was waiting on the other side of the car park.

Two of them picked up Aaron under his arms and half dragged him across the rough ground to the waiting van. One of them opened the back of the van and pushed him in, where he rolled into the corner of the back of the van. He groaned as hid body hit the floor. His nose was bleeding, and his lips were cracked.

He felt in his pocket for his ID and held it in front of him.

'Do you realise what you are doing?' he said. His voice was croaky; he had received at least one kick to his neck and speaking wasn't easy.

'We sure do.' said the man who had thrown him into the van. He took Hotch's credentials away from him and threw the wallet out of the van next to the burning SUV. Aaron was feeling dizzy and he lay back down on the floor.

Two other men were swapping the registration plates of the stolen van, and threw the old ones into the fire. Then three of them got into the back of the van with Hotch while the fourth got into the driver's seat and drove the old van out of the car park into the road.

-0-0-0-

Morgan and Reid drove straight to the place under the fly over. They spotted Dave straight away, and stopped next to him.

'What happened?' Morgan asked. 'Where's Hotch?'

Dave was getting to his feet with help from Reid.

'I don't know. He was being beaten the same, and when I came round, he was gone.' He looked around for the people who lived under the fly over, but there was no one about. 'Looks like they've all made off somewhere.'

'What happened?' repeated Reid.

'It was like a mob action.' Dave said. 'They just came at us.'

'There's blood here.' Morgan said, shining his flashlight on the pavement.

'That's where Hotch was.' Dave said worriedly, his stomach twisting. 'Why would they take him?'

'They took the SUV.' Reid said. He took out his phone. 'I'll have road blocks set up for it.'

'You will have to cast a wide net.' Dave said. 'It's been twenty minutes by now.'

Dave got into the car with Reid and Morgan, sitting in the back, nursing his injuries and feeling helpless. He tried to go over what had happened under the fly over. One minute everything was fine, and the next they are having the life kicked out of them!

'I'm certain that they have something to do with the killings.' he said. 'It was too violent just to get us out of their patch. And they'd not all disappear like that.'

'We'll take you to the emergency room before we do anything else.' Morgan said.

'No! It's not as bad as it looks.' Dave said. 'Drive straight back to the BAU. We have work to do.'

-0-0-0-

Hotch pretended to have passed out in the van, hoping that he would hear something that would give him a clue as to what was going on. The three men in the back of the van with him were chatting among themselves about their new captive.

'This one is tougher than the usual ones we take.' one said. 'He should last longer.'

'That could make it more difficult.' said another. 'The others were killed gradually. This one might have to be killed more quickly. He's not some homeless guy, he's a highly trained Fed who m we will have to watch all the time.'

'Where are we going to hold him? Your place?'

'It's probably best. No kids to poke their noses in.'

Suddenly the van hit a pot hole in the road, and Hotch involuntarily cried out as his torn and battered skin rubbed on the floor.

'Hey! He's awake!' someone yelled, and he was pulled across the floor so that he was lying between them.

Hotch looked up at them silently. He knew that he had to get the gun from his ankle holster before they found it. He pretended that he was trying to touch his legs and ankles because of the pain he was in, and he reached for the gun. Before the captors could do anything, Hotch had the gun pointing to one of the men.

'Now have this van turn around and head into the city.' he said.

It was difficult to hold three men with one gun, and they knew it. As the van rounded a corner, Hotch, who was now standing, was knocked off balance, and the three were on him even as he fired the gun. One man fell, but the other two had him, and he was punched to the floor. A booted foot hit him under the chin, and his neck cracked backwards, and he felt dizzy and sick as the gun was pried from his hand.

He realised that he had achieved a little, now there were only two men in the back of the van with him. But they were mad now, and he had been disarmed, and he thought he was going to be sick. His head hurt, a throbbing ache that he thought had been exacerbated by the kick in the throat. There didn't seem to be anything that he could do apart from just lie there and hope he would get another chance to escape later.

He thought about Dave, who had gone down under the mob before he did. Had they left him behind? Had they killed him?

'What happened to the men I was with.' he asked.

'He's dead.' one said, holding Hotch's gun inches from his head. 'Now shut it or you'll get what you gave Pete.' He indicated the body of his fallen comrade. 'We never leave witnesses.'

'Dead? But why?' Hotch asked, horrified that they had killed his friend. 'We would have just driven off, and you wouldn't have seen us again.'

'You shouldn't have come in the first place. We had set up there waiting for the next one, and you came along. It was easy to decide that the next one was you. And no one will ever find us. All they will find is the body of your friend under the over pass. Everyone will have gone back to their homes. They will never be found.'

'What do you want me for?' Hotch asked, trying to stay objective in the face of Dave's death. He couldn't believe they had killed him. For no reason, it was so senseless! He felt tears of grief well up. He blinked them back and tried to push the feelings away and concentrate on what was happening.

'You will find out in good time – unless you don't live long enough.'

A punch in the mouth – his teeth cut into his lips and his mouth filled with blood. he felt sick and he turned onto his front and got on his hands and knees, and vomited onto the floor of the van.

The two men jeered him and one of them kicked him in the stomach. Aaron fell onto his side and fought for breath. These men wanted to hurt him, and he knew now that they were planning to kill him.

He tried to remember how the other victims had died – beaten and tortured. He wondered how long they kept their victims alive before killing them and storing them.

The van stopped, and the driver got out and came around the back to open the door. When he saw that one of his comrades had been killed, he pulled Aaron from the van and hit him hard in the face. Aaron swayed on his legs, and his knees buckled, and he went down again. He didn't think it would be too long before he was beaten to death, these men didn't seem to care what they did.

He looked up at the man who had hit him.

'At least tell me why you are killing people.' he said. 'If I am going to die, at least tell me why.'

'It started as robbery of the people who wandered into our area.' he said. 'We killed them for what they had.'

'But I have nothing that you could use.' Hotch said, confused.

'The clothes that you are wearing would have fit one of us when we had nothing. Now, though, we kill because we like doing it. And we are going to enjoy killing you.'

Aaron thought of all those bodies they had found. Had they just been killed for fun? He found the concept of killing just for enjoyment to be totally obscene, even considering all the things he had seen; all the murders and killing, almost always there was a motive, however obscure. But this killing just for fun, as a sport almost, he could hardly contemplate.

How could you profile killers like this? There was no precedent for them to compare with. This was new.

He suddenly thought of his team again, without Dave. Would Morgan lead the way, or would Strauss step in?

Dave.....dear Dave. He couldn't come to terms with his being dead. He closed his eyes and thought how quickly the situation had got out of hand.

Had the team found Dave yet Did they even know that there was a problem? Probably not yet. How long before they found Dave's body?

He realised that he was being spoken to. He pushed his thoughts away and listened.

'Move.' a poke in the back with his own gun ushered him forwards towards a house, built in it's own grounds. The basement hatch was open and he was pushed towards it. There were no steps and he was shoved through the hatch and fell, landing badly on his back. The wind was knocked out of him, and he couldn't breathe for a moment. then he looked up to see the hatch being closed over him, and the room was darkened.

Aaron lay still on the concrete floor as his eyes got used to the darkness. He looked around the room without getting up. He doubted that he could even if he wanted to.

The room was empty. There was a wooden pillar in the centre of the room, and he saw there was a chain hanging from the ceiling. His stomach lurched when he saw it, and he tried not to think of what it could be used for.

There were concrete steps leading up to a metal door into the house. He turned onto his front and crawled to the steps. It was hard going, he felt ill and was in pain, but he managed to reach the door.

It was locked of course, but he had to try it. He noticed stains on the steps that could be blood, and he wondered how many of the bodies he found ended their lives in this room. He looked down at the floor and saw other stains, which looked like blood.

Going back down the stairs was more difficult, and he fell the last few steps, and lay still at the bottom for a moment, disoriented and sick. He made his way slowly across the floor and lay down in the corner and tried to think.

That was when he heard the metal door creak open.


	3. The Picture

Revealed by Fire  
Chapter 3  
The picture

_**"How sad it is! I shall grow old, and horrible, and dreadful. But this picture will remain always young. It will never be older than this particular day of June... If it were only the other way! If it were I who was to be always young, and the picture that was to grow old! For that-for that-I would give everything! Yes, there is nothing in the whole world I would not give! I would give my soul for that!" - Oscar Wilde, **__**The Picture of Dorian Gray**_

Back at the police station, Dave was working on a profile when Morgan knocked on the door to his office.

'CSI found a bullet embedded in the tarmac right by where you were laying, Rossi. I looks as if you are lucky to be alive.'

'That doesn't make sense unless shooting a man in cold blood doesn't do it for them. It makes me more sure that Hotch is alive still. Why take him away if they were going to kill him.'

'The SUV has also been found, burnt out at the city limits.' Morgan said. 'They swapped vehicles, so that is how they got through the road blocks.'

'Unless', Dave said, 'they are still within the perimeter.'

'That's a possibility, since the body dump was local, maybe they are too.'

Dave nodded slowly. 'The 'homeless' people disappeared by the time you arrived. What if they were not homeless after all, and just set it up to get their next victim.'

'It's not unknown for people who live on the streets to avoid trouble. Could be they just dispersed after attacking you and Hotch.' Morgan said.

'That's another possibility.' Dave agreed. 'Work on both assumptions for now until we get more information.'

Dave wasn't sure how this 'more information' was going to be revealed, other than finding Aaron. Another body was not something he looked forward to finding.

-0-0-0-

'So, I understand that you have been asking why you are here.' the man said to Aaron, pointing Aaron's own gun at him.

Aaron forced himself to stand before his tormentor, using the wall for support, trying to stand alone.

'I am Special Agent Aaron Hotch....'

'I know who you are.' he said. You can drop the 'Special Agent' nonsense. It has no weight here. Do you want me to tell you why you are here?'

Aaron scowled at the man but said nothing.

'Have you ever read the amazing book about a madman called 'A Picture of Dorian Grey'?'

Hotch nodded, but remained silent.

'Well, you are the picture, Aaron Hotchner. Although we cannot place our diseased minds onto you, we can use you to relieve the violence and anger that this world forces onto us. You will be important, and your life and death will have meaning.'

Aaron stared at the man. He had read the book, many years ago, and undersood exactly what the man was telling him.

'Do you realise how many sex psychopaths, rapists and wife beaters are kept off the streets just by your being here?' he continued. 'You are giving your life in service of mankind. You are privileged.'

'You are insane!' Aaron spoke at last. 'You can't keep me here.'

'But we can, and we are.' he said. 'One other thing in your favour is that whoever kills you will have to find the next......'picture', which is a nuisance. So we don't want you dead. That would be counter productive. Just know that you are available at any time, to any of the men, or women, but we don't see them so often. And they are allowed to take you in groups.'

He paused and watched Aaron's face. He knew that there were some clients already waiting, and they didn't like to be kept waiting for long, or they wanted a discount. And he wasn't ready to give money back on this new victim.

'Remove your suit shirt and shoes.' he said, waving the gun at him.

Hotch didn't move. The man cocked the gun. 'I will shoot you. Not to kill, but enough to hurt. So do it.' He pointed the gun at Aaron's leg. Aaron slowly removed his jacket and trousers, and took off his tie and shirt.

'Shoes as well. We can't have you running away.'

Aaron took off his shoes, and the man gestured for him to step back so that he could pick up the clothes.

Aaron stood in the cold basement in shorts and tee shirt. He shivered slightly.

'Don't fret about the cold.' the man laughed. 'You will soon warm up. Your first clients are waiting. I'd say enjoy yourself, but I doubt if you will!'

And the man left Aaron, and went back up the stairs to take the money from the men that were waiting.

-0-0-0-

Dave needed to speak to Reid. Reid had poured out his heart to Dave, and Dave had kept silent as to his own feelings. He felt guilty, and needed to come clean. He wasn't sure how he was going to put it to Reid, but in the present situation, with Hotch missing, they could support each other. He called him into his tiny office, and when he had sat down opposite his desk, Dave locked the door and pulled his chair round to face him.

'I need to talk to you about something.' Dave said.

'Is it about Aaron?' Reid asked, using Hotch's first name – unusual when they were talking about work.

Dave wondered if Reid had guessed.

'It is, Spencer. I know of your feelings of love for Aaron, and the effort you make not to let it affect your work. I need to tell you that I share those feelings, and never expect them to be returned.'

Reid's mouth dropped open. 'I'd not have guessed.' he said. 'Why are you telling me this? Are we rivals?'

'I don't think so.' Dave answered. 'Aaron is not able to return the kind of love we offer, and so there is no rivalry. But we could support each other in this crisis. I have no idea where Aaron is, and it's hurting.'

Reid was totally shocked. He never imagined that Dave could have this vulnerability. He always appeared to be an island, untouchable, and safe. It threw him to think that Dave had an Achilles heel, and one so like his own.

'Only you know, Spencer. I am good at hiding my feelings. I don't think even Aaron has any idea. But I want to be there for you. Can you be there for me?'

Reid lowered his head. His first impulse was to be upset by the news. But Aaron's love for him was selfless and self sacrificing. That was the purest love. If Dave needed support, Reid would give it.

'Of course, Rossi. ' Reid said, lost for words.

Dave smiled his lip sided smile at Reid.

'Ok. Let's get this profile out.'

-0-0-0-

Aaron stood with his back against the wall ready to fight. He was not going to submit to this insanity. The three men, ones he had not seen before advanced on him, and as soon as they were close enough, he swung at the man in the centre. He caught him off guard. They were not used to dealing with someone trained in close combat, and the man stepped back in surprise.

While Aaron concentrated on the one, the other two tried to get around the side of him to take his arms, but Hotch was too quick for them, and he lashed out sideways, knocking one of them down.

But his upper hand didn't last. There were after all three of them, and eventually, two of them had hold of his arms, and were holding him tight, their fingers digging into his skin.

'You might as well submit.' the first man said through bleeding lips.' Or we'll have to chain you up.'

Hotch struggled in the fierce grip of the two men, but his chance had gone. The man in front of him hit him hard in the face, and his head cracked to the right. Another to the left cheek, and his head jerked the other way. The man punched him under the chin on his throat, and Aaron coughed and fought for breath. A knee to the groin, and Aaron doubled over. The two men holding him let go and let him fall to the ground, where he fell on his side and curled forwards, groaning in pain. Then the other two joined in.

They held him face down on the cold floor and hit his face on the floor. He felt a pop as his nose broke, and his own blood flowed to join the stains from past victims.

Aaron coughed and vomited onto the floor as a boot caught him on his already cracked ribs. He thought about Dave and it gave him new strength. He had to survive so that he could bring the killer of his friend to justice.

He twisted out of the grasp of one of the men and caught hold of the foot that was about to impact with his face again. He twisted the foot and the man fell onto the ground. Aaron tried to get up while there was only one man holding him, but someone stamped on his face and he blacked out for a second. He felt them pull him up to his feet again and start beating him around the head. Then they threw him against the wall. His head hit the bricks hard, and this time he blacked out and fell unconscious onto the floor.

'Well that's that. I don't want to kill him.' a man said. 'Too much trouble.'

The three looked down on the beaten and bloodied man. 'He'll learn not to fight back.' someone else said. 'It only makes it harder.'

One man poked him in the ribs and pushed Aaron into the corner, then the three went back up the steps to be let out.

-0-0-0-

'We cannot trace the people whom you interviewed.' Reid said to Rossi. 'We can only assume they were fake, putting on a show to get their next victim.

'But why take Hotch?' Rossi said. 'He won't be an east target. He's trained to fight, and their usual victims aren't.'

'He was there, and they could stop looking.' Emily said.

'So we are looking for a gang.' Morgan said, 'who strike in the backstreets where there are no security cameras and no willing witnesses.'

'We need to get back down onto the streets.' Emily said, 'Only this time, we work together. These infiltrators won't be liked by the genuine homeless. Someone is sure to break.

'Unless they are bought.' Rossi said. 'These people have nothing, so they would be easy to bribe.' Dave paused, and then asid, 'But it is our only lead. We need to get to it. Is there anything on the other victims yet?'

Morgan picked up the phone and dialled the autopsy room.

-0-0-0-

Down in the autopsy room, the pathologist had the bodies laid out on separate tables. Some were too far gone to tell anything, but the two that had not been burned, one of whose photos had been shown around, had both been raped as well as beaten. There was no DNA as it had been too long, but the tell tale bruising on the buttocks told the tale, and he was just about to call Rossi when his phone rang.

He gave the information to Morgan.

'I haven't made a written report yet, but I will get it too you as soon as possible.'

Morgan closed his phone and relayed the information to the others.

'Beaten and raped.' Rossi said. 'We have to find them quickly.

-0-0-0-

Hotch gradually became self aware again, and all he could feel was pain. He wiped blood from his eyes with a shaky hand and looked around him. The men who had been hurting him were gone, and there was blood all over the floor. The concrete was rough on his skin and he tried to sit up. He had hardly had time to understand what was going on, but he seemed to be the scape goat for all the gang's frustrations and perversions.

He wrapped his arms around his bruised torso, and hoped that the next attack wouldn't come soon. The beating around his head had left him with concussion, and logical thinking was difficult. But he couldn't see how the team, without Dave, would ever find him, especially if Strauss took the lead. It was up to him to escape

He flinched as the door squeaked as it opened again.........


	4. On the Streets

**Revealed by Fire  
**Chapter 4  
On the Streets

"_**Sleep – to the homeless thou art home" – Ebenezer Elliott**_

Aaron stood up to face whoever was coming down the stairs. Blood ran freely from his nose, and he touched it with the back of his hand, wincing as he accidentally touched his nose. He was having to breathe through his mouth, his nose was blocked by blood and displaced cartilage. He coughed, getting ready to speak if necessary, and got ready to defend himself.

He was not going to play. He resolved to fight until his last breath.

Three men and a woman. They stood in a semi circle around him, and one of them stepped forwards.

He raised his hands and Aaron raised his in response. The man went to hit him, and Aaron caught his wrist and twisted it back until the man was on his knees. The others were laughing.

'They told us this one fought back.' the woman said, laughing. 'He's not like the others.'

One of the other men smacked Aaron in the face, and he yelped as his nose moved, making his eyes water, and loosening his grip on the man's wrist. he closed his eyes in pain and cupped his hand over his nose. He didn't see the men advance on him, and the next thing he felt was a punch to the kidneys.

Something inside broke and he fell to his knees. He tried to open his eyes, but he couldn't open them so he couldn't defend himself as he was pushed face down on the ground. His arms were pulled back so that his elbows were together and his wrists towards his neck, and then the kicking began. Someone sat on his back holding his arms still and his head down. The woman kicked him in the face. They were calling him obscene names as they laid into him. His shoulders were in agony, and he thought at first that they were trying to dislocate his arms from their sockets. Someone stood on the backs of his knees, and he struggled to free himself, but he was being held almost motionless by the man holding his arms.

As abruptly as it began, the kicking ceased, and he was hauled onto his feet by his elbows behind his back. His legs were shaking, and his knees felt as if they would fold under him, but the man behind him held him up.

he looked at the woman, hoping perhaps for some mercy from her. He opened his dark eyes and tried to appeal to her. But she was with the men and she spat in his face.

The man behind him released his arms and he fell down onto the floor, all the strength gone from him, and any hope of fighting back gone with it. He looked up at them.

Had they finished?

He needed time. Please let them have finished.

The woman kicked his stomach and he vomited blood onto the floor. They turned away and headed back to the stairs.

-0-0-0-

Rossi, Reid, morgan and Emily drove into the city centre that evening to talk to the people who lived there. Rossi had said that they all needed to keep together, but even so, he felt uncharacteristically nervous as they parked the car and walked towards the trailer that was serving free soup and yesterday's bread to the folks queuing up outside.

Dave stood by Reid. he was going over the conversation they had had earlier. He had surprised himself at how easy it had been to tell Spencer how he felt. Reid seemed to take it okay, once he realised that they weren't in competition for Aaron's love. He thought about Aaron's reaction if he ever found out. He hadn't decided yet whether to tell him.

But first they had to find him and save him from what ever this gang wanted him for.

Emily stepped forward to speak to a woman at the back of the queue. They had decided that Emily should question the people, as she appeared to pose less of a threat.

The woman looked edgy as Emily stood in the queue beside her.

'Excuse me, Ma'am. We are looking for a group of people who are pretending to be homeless for sinister purposes. Have you come across anything like that?'

The woman stepped away from Emily and avoided eye contact.

'No.' she said softly, holding a plastic carrier bag tightly across her chest.

'They wouls appear on the street, stay for a few days and then disappear. There was such a group under the overpass two days ago, but they have gone now. Do you know where they have gone?'

'Just want my soup.' the woman muttered, and turned away from Emily. She put her hand up to the hatch and took the paper cup and slice of bread, and scuttled off to the group who were already having theirs. She said something to one of the men and he split off from the group and came to Emily.

'Why do you want to know?' he asked.

Emily showed him her badge. 'We believe that these people infiltrate the groups that you have here for the purpose of murder. We are trying to identify them so that no more of your people are killed.'

'Some of our number have disappeared over the past few years.' he said, scratching his head. 'We always assume that they have moved on, but it is unusual for one of us to move on without telling anyone where they are going.'

Emily took the picture of the unburned victim out of her pocket and showed the man. he immediately snatched the picture and stared at it.

'That's Albie.' he said. 'Is he dead?'

'I am so sorry, sir, but yes. He was killed by these infiltrators. Can you help us find them?'

Emily thought that the man was going to cry. His eyes welled up with tears.

'Albie was a good sort. He'd been to college, but fell on hard times. He shouldn't have been down here. He was a good sort. He was my friend.'

'I am so sorry for your loss.' Emily said from the bottom of her heart. She had said those words so many times, but rarely had she felt them so much.

The man really did cry then, hot tears cut through the dirt on his face, and he took Emily's arm. 'Find whoever did this, Miss. He didn't deserve to die.'

Dave stepped forward, concern in his eyes. 'What can you tell us about this group, Sir.'

He looked at Dave, suspicion in his eyes.

'He's ok, Sir. he's just as anxious to find these people.'

The man nodded, and said, 'We wondered where they went. They join us, or sometimes stay separate. They hang around for a bit, then disappear for weeks at a time, then they come back. We just assumed they were a family, and they moved on. They killed Albie?' He started to cry again. 'We never thought we were in danger from them.'

'Can you remember when they were here last?' Reid asked.

'A few days ago, under the overpass. There was some trouble, and some guy got beaten up and then they went away again.'

Dave winced inside to hear about the incident from their point of view. It seemed so casual, so normal in their lives. He took out some money and gave it to the man, along with his card.

'Please, next time they show up, please let me know.' he said.

'I'll do that if it helps to find out who hurt Albie.' he said. Dave shook his hand.

'I'm Dave.' he said. 'What's your name?'

'They call me Fancy.' he answered, and turned from them and re joined the group.

The four profilers walked back to the car. They all had the same thought in their minds; if they caught the infiltrators next time they showed, it would mean it was too late for Aaron.

There had to be another way......

-0-0-0-

Aaron sat shivering in the corner of the room, his arms wrapped around his torso, trying to keep as warm as he could. He was thirsty, but no drink, or indeed food, had been offered to him. The blood from his nose had clotted, and he carefully wiped it away with his tee shirt. His shoulders screamed with pain as he moved his arms, and he thought some damage had been done to them. He could still fight, but god, it would hurt.

His cheek was grazed on the concrete floor and he touched it carefully to check for broken bones. His facial bones seemed to be intact, apart from his nose, which was hurting badly. His knees hurt when he bent them up in front of him. he coughed blood onto the floor and he wondered if his ribs had pierced his lung. If that was the case, he would die eventually unless he saw a doctor. Not a very likely outcome.

He gripped his upper arms and leaned forwards onto his bruised and cut knees, trying to conserve heat, hoping that he wouldn't have any more 'clients' that night.

He needed time to recover, and think of a way to escape from this prison.

There were only two ways out; through the hatch, which he wouldn't be able to reach, or the door at the top of the steps.

It would have to be the door, but to get anywhere, he would have to be fit enough to overpower whoever came through it, and hope that there was no body else on the other side.

He would have to try now, before he was too badly beaten up. He carefully stood in the corner, and walked to the stairs.

It wasn't an easy walk. His feet were sore from the rough concrete floor, and his body ached after the beating he had received. But he got there, and on his hands and knees, he crawled up the stairs to the metal door.

There was no door handle on this side of the door. He pushed it, but of course it was locked.

There was a small landing about a meter square onto which the door opened. He sat at the top on the landing and waited.

He didn't have to wait long. He heard voices on the other side of the door and he stoo up, ready to attack whoever came through.

The door opened outwards, and the first man through was treated to a punch on the side of this head. It wasn't up to Aaron's usual standard due to his excruciatingly painful shoulders, but he had the element of surprise, and the man fell off the landing with a cry onto the floor below. Aaron quickly stepped through the door, ready to fight the next man, but he didn't have a chance. There were four men there. They had seen what Aaron had done, and now with the loss of the surprise element, he was crowded back onto the landing. The man who had fallen, was now coming up the steps behind him

Aaron made a valiant effort, but they overpowered him quickly, and threw him bodily off the landing. He had no way to save himself, and he landed on his side as he had before, and his broken ribs did more damage.

He just lay there on the floor, too badly hurt to get up this time. Five men came down the stairs and dragged him to the centre of the room. His dirty and blood stained clothes were pulled off him and he was held down on the floor as one man raped him.

Aaron screamed in pain and struggled under the weight of his assailant, but he was weakened by pain, and couldn't move. He had never felt pain like it. It felt as if his body was being ripped in two, and he felt blood run across his skin as he cried out in his agony.

There were five of them, and they all wanted a turn. His struggles grew less and less until he wasn't moving at all. He lay motionless on the floor when they had finished, blood pooling around his hips and thighs.

They left him there, torn and bleeding, and made their way up the steps to the door, laughing and joking and making plans to go to the pub just in time for last orders before closing. The man they had violated was no longer on their minds. He had served a purpose. In fact, he was not a man. He was an object, and they left it semi conscious on the basement floor.

They wouldn't need a stranger tonight. They were sated.


	5. Breakages

**Revealed by Fire  
**Chapter 5  
Breakages

_**"Some day you will look at your friend, and he will seem to you to be a little out of drawing, or you won't like his tone of colour, or something."  
- Oscar Wilde, **__**The Picture of Dorian Gray**_

Dave sat next to the sketch artist and looked at the drawing that she had done of the man who had beaten him up.

'That's very like him.' he said. 'I got a good look at him. Get it out to the media. We have to find this guy.'

'Do you think this will work?' Reid asked.

'I hope so. It's a long shot, but if we wait for the re appearance of the gang it will mean that it is..... too late for Aaron. I can't wait that long...... We can't wait that long.'

'Dave.........'

'It's all we can do, Reid.'

-0-0-0-

Aaron recovered enough to move. The blood pool had clotted and he shivered with the cold in the damp atmosphere. He carefully reached out for his clothes and crawled through the blood into his corner. He sat and leaned against the wall and pulled the tee shirt over his head. His shoulders cracked as he pushed his arms through. The shorts were more difficult. He pulled them up to his thighs and turned onto his hands and knees and pulled them up the rest of the way.

The whole effort left him exhausted, and he leaned again on the wall with his head back.

It had been some time since the rapists had left. He didn't know how long, but it gave him a chance to get his breath back. He wondered how long he would last. The poor devils that usually sat down here didn't have his training, and so probably hadn't lasted as long as he could.

He had to get out of here. His last plan failed because there had been too many of them. He thought he could try again, if he was given enough time to get his strength back.

He didn't hold out much hope though. Another fall from the top of the steps would likely kill him.

His only chance lay in one of the 'clients'. Maybe one would take pity on him and get help for him.

'I need water!' he cried out. He was not going to last long without it. He was feeling light headed, but that could be from blood loss. He was still bleeding, and he was in a lot of pain.

'Please! I need a drink!'

The door at the top of the stairs opened.

'Shut the hell up!'

'Please......I need some water.'

'If you don't shut up I'll kill you.'

The door slammed shut and Aaron rested his head on his knees again, wrapping his arms around them to try to keep warm. He was shivering and trembling with the cold and damp.

He had to get out of there.

Maybe the hatch?

He stood shakily on his feet and the blood ran down his legs. He was afraid he would bleed out if he was active, but he had to find a way out.

He went across to stand beneath the hatch and looked up at it. Reaching up as best he could with his shoulder pain, he was about three feet from the hatch. If he could finds a way to make them bring a table down there he could actually get away through the hatch.

He didn't have the strength to walk back to his corner. His knees bent and he was on his hands and knees on the bloody floor. He crawled across the floor and tried to think. All he needed was three feet. Even a chair would help.

He wrapped his arms around his legs again and tried to think.

-0-0-0-

Spencer sat at his desk and stared blankly at his lap top screen. His brain was still trying to compute the information that Rossi had given to him.

Rossi was in love with Aaron too?

Dave had managed to hide it so well, he hadn't even suspected. So why had he told him? It had to be just for his, Spencer's benefit.

It seemed to soften the anguish that he felt knowing that Aaron was in trouble, that his life was in danger. Knowing he could confide in someone as gentle as Dave certainly helped him. Dave was a good man, and it helped Reid keep it together knowing that he wasn't alone.

He watched the images from Garcia's facial recognition program fly acrosshalf of his screen, the picture that the sketch artist had done on the other half of it. It had been going for a long time and so far there had been no hits. It would only work if the UnSub's face was on file. But if it was, he'd find it.

-0-0-0-

'There's no report in the papers about a body being found under the overpass.' he yelled.

'That's because I didn't shoot the guy. He was unconscious on the floor. I don't kill like that!'

'You do realise that he could recognise me, don't you. Well if I go down, by god you're coming down with me.'

'Of course he won't recognise you. He was beaten to a pulp. He'll not remember anything about it.'

'You are a moron. All you had to do was put a bullet in the brain, and our arses would be covered. Instead you've put the whole operation at risk. Well I mean it. If I go down, then so do you.'

'What for? Not killing someone?'

'I'll take you down!' He drew Aaron's gun from his pocket and pointed it at the other man. He took a step closer and the other man stepped back until he was against the wall. 'You know our motto, the one that says we get away every time. "Leave no witnesses."'

He fired the gun and the other man fell onto his knees, clutching at his stomach. The second shot killed him.

-0-0-0-

There were three women waiting to see the 'picture' tonight. They had their money ready, and carried weapons to beat their victim with. It was going to do them good, get the better of a man, unlike the men who were always getting the better of them.

They paid their money and the door was opened for them.

It took a second or two to adjust to the light in the dingy cellar, but eventually, before they descended the stairs, they made out the figure of a man crouched down in the corner of the room.

'He's over there.' the blonde said, reaching for the light switch.

As the room was bathes in feeble yellowish light, the man looked up at them. His face was a bloody mess, but the eyes shone with life. The women came down the stairs and confronted the man, who pulled himself up so that he was standing by the time they reached him.

One of the women swung the club she had brought and hit his right ear. He screamed and clutched at his face, on his knees in pain. Just for a second, an image of Kate flashed in front of him. She had been so gentle, so sweet. He looked up at the three women in front of him. The second woman had a cattle prod that she poked him with. It impacted with the centre of his abdomen and the shock threw him across the room back into the corner. He heard them laughing. He pulled himself up again as the third woman took her turn. She came at him with a hammer that she held high. Before she could use it, he caught her arm and twisted it. The weapon fell to the ground.

The woman with the cattle prod thrust it forward and touched the side of his neck with it. He collapsed onto the floor and lay still as the women beat and kicked the hell out of him. He curled up away from them to protect himself, but it left his back unprotected, and one of the women cracked the hammer across his spine.

Suddenly all sensation in his lower body was gone. He thought she had broken his spine and he couldn't move his legs. Again he thought of Kate, how she had asked if her legs were moving. As he passed out, her name was on his lips.

-0-0-0-

'I think I might have broken his back.' she said. 'I didn't mean to. I just got carried away.'

'Don't worry about it. He's as good as dead. I really thought he'd last longer.' He looked at the clock. 'You had another twenty mnutes.'

'Yeah we know. We didn't want to be the ones to kill him though.'

The four men from the van sat with the women in a comfortable, if shabby, lounge, feet away from the dying man down in the cellar.

'He probably would last longer if you restricted it to two clients at a time like you usually do.' another said.'

'Yeah I guess so. So what do we do with him now he's crippled?'

'You could hang him from the chains, or strap him to a table.' one of the women suggested.

'The table is a good idea. He will probably live longer than hanging him. Was he still bleeding everywhere?' The women nodded. 'Let's find a table. The new clients are due here soon.'

The table that they had was a folding one that they carried down the stairs. The light was still on, and they saw the man right away, curled up in the corner, not moving or trying to get up as he usually did. They unfolded the table and lifted him on to it. They pulled him out staright, but didn't bother to tie him down. He wasn't going anywhere.

'Wake it up, someone. No one is going to pay for it if it's dead or unconscious.'

One of the men carried a small bottle of ammonia for this exact purpose, and he tipped a little under his nose. Aaron's dark eyes snapped open, and he turned his head away from the burning liquid.

'Wake up. You're wanted.'

The woman who had hit his spine looked on with displeasure. She had meant to kill him, as she wanted to kill her boy friend, and there he was squirming on the table. She stepped forwards.

'I want the rest of my time with him.' she said, grabbing him by the hair, and slamming his head down.

'Sorry, you will have to come back tomorrow.' he said. 'It's too late now.'

She scowled and backed off. 'Just make sure that there's something to come back to. I like this one. He's feisty.'

The man laughed, and they went back up the stairs, leaving Aaron alone in the darkness.

-0-0-0-

The next clients that night were two men who hated their jobs. They carried no weapons, and were frankly disappointed with the condition of the victim. They smacked it about a bit, but they'd heard that it fought back, and this one couldn't even stand up. They dragged it off the table and kicked it around the floor, but it didn't react. The best they got was a distressed moan when they kicked him in the back.

'I want my money back. This one is dead.' he stormed up the stairs.

'And we are not going to be held responsible. It was the last lot that killed it, not us.'

Annoyed, the man gave them a refund, and went down to check on it.

Aaron was on the floor, stretched out on his side, thick dark blood all over him. He picked his head off the floor and looked into the half open eyes.

'I thought you were better than this.' he said, and dropped him back down. He left him there on the floor and turned the light out on the way out of the cellar.

-0-0-0-

Aaron tried to move his legs, feeling them with his hands. He knew that his back could be broken, but he refused to believe it. He had the table he wanted, now he had to be able to move.

He dragged himself across the floor to his corner and lay on his side. He reached round to his back and rubbed the place where the weapon had hit.

_Please don't let my back be broken........_

His eyes filled with tears in frustration and distress.


	6. Freedom

**Revealed by Fire  
**Chapter 6  
Freedom

"_**Dreams, ideas, and plans not only are an **__**escape**__**, they give me purpose, a reason to hang on.**__**" ANON**_

Aaron felt a tingling sensation in his legs as he rubbed at the lump on his spine where the woman had hit him. He hope that that meant that his spine wasn't broken, just bruised perhaps. He moaned as pain spread down his legs as sensation returned. He had a way out now, if only he could make his legs work.

His shoulder screamed for relief as he continued rubbing his back. He was unsure how long he could keep this up for, the pain was making him light headed and sick. Suddenly the pain overwhelmed him and he vomited violently onto the floor. Unable to hold back any longer, he cried out in his agony and distress and rolled onto his side. He curled his body round, and tried to move his legs, but to no avail. All he could feel from his waist down was pain like needles digging into his bones, and tears of pain brought him up short. He was loosing the will to go on. He looked up at the hatch which might as well have been a hundred miles away. He would never get to it.

-0-0-0-

'I've got in contact with some of the previous employees of the warehouse.' Garcia said, 'and one of them seems to match the picture you sent over to me. The man appears to match the profile too. I'm sending his details across to you now.'

Dave looked at the information as it came up on his lap top. Mike Marsden, thirty five ytears old, lived alone, and was currently unemployed. Had been sacked a month before the company went under, thus doing him out of any redundancy he might have been entitled to. He worked as a night watchman, and so knew the place thoroughly. Well enough to know where to hide the bodies.

They also had a last known address for him.

Rossi called Reid, Emily and Morgan over to go to bring him in. dave knew that if it was the same man who had beaten him up under the over pass, he would need good back up.

They ran down the stairs to the car park and took one of the SUV's parked there.

It was just inside the city limits, and took a while negotiating rush hour traffic to get there. When they arrived, Reid parked at the end of the street and the four agents got out.

'Reid and I will go to the front door. You are my back up.' Dave said to Emily and Morgan.

Dave went up the path with Reid and knocked on the door. The other two took a stance either side of the front gate and waited.

When the door opened, a young blonde woman stood there, a small child in her arms.

Dave didn't like it. He hated guns being around children, and he prayed that using them wouldn't be necessary.

'I am Special Agent David Rossi, and this is Doctor Spencer Reid with the FBI. We are looking for Mike Marsden. Does he live here?'

The woman was nervous and glanced over her shoulder.

'He's not here.' she said.

Dave heard the sound of the back door closing.

'Around the back!' he yelled, and he and Reid ran through the house in time to see the man jump the wall at the back of the yard.

Morgan and Emily ran round the side of the house and Morgan jumped the man just as he hit the ground on the other side of the wall.

'Mike Marsden, you are under arrest.' he growled as Emily cuffed him and hauled him to his feet.

-0-0-0-

'I don't know anything about it. What? Do you think I'm stupid? Why would I pick a fight with a Fed?' Marsden shouted at the mirror.

Dave watched him from the other side.

'It's him. He knows where Aaron is.' he said. 'Has he lawyered up yet?'

'Not yet, but he will any minute when he realises who you are.' Reid answered.

'That's about to happen. I'm going in.'

Dave left the room and went next door to confront the man.

'Hello.' he said cheerfully. 'Remember me?'

'Why should I rem........ '

Dave smiled as it dawned on him who was standing in front of him.'

'I am looking for my companion, who you and your friends beat up and kidnapped.' he said. 'Maybe you can tell us where he is, and save part of your skin.'

'I want a lawyer.'

_Crap._

-0-0-0-

The blonde woman was annoyed. She was going to go back to the picture that evening, but she needed someone to mind the kid. Now Mike wasn't around it was going to be more difficult.

She hated that man. She hoped she would never see him again. He was the whole reason she needed to outlet in the first place.

She put the kid in the cot with a bottle.

'Mummy will be right back.' she said to him.

_Just as soon as I've been back to get my money's worth....._

-0-0-0-

Aaron wiped at his eyes, furious with himself for letting himself get so negative. He had to escape. He had to see these killers brought to justice.

He wasn't sure if he could stand. He dragged himself to the table and pulled himself up so that his feet were on the ground. He immediately felt dizzy and he clung to the side of the table. It felt as if he was standing on knives, and the feeling was so real, he looked down at his feet.

The table needed to be moved so that it was under the hatch. He leaned against the table and it slid across the bloody floor to the hatch. He sat on the floor to get his breath back. He sat against the wall and leaned forward and rubbed his legs. The pain was so bad he was on the verge of passing out. but he was so close now, he couldn't give up.

As he stood against the wall, his knees gave way under him and he fell onto his front. He cried out as he hit the floor, and he prayed that no one upstairs heard him.

He had to get onto the table and stand up. His back hurt and he knew that he had a spine injury If he could get out of this place and hide somewhere at least he had a chance.

He was on the floor next to the table. He pulled himself up and lay across it. He pulled his feet onto the table, and rolled to the centre.

Now he had to stand up. He rolled onto his front and bent his knees up painfully. Then he pushed himself up so that he was kneeling on the table. The agony was excruciating as he reached up towards the hatch. It was too far away. He needed to stand, but he didn't know if he could without something to hold on to.

He bit down on his lip to stop him from screaming, and he forced himself onto his feet. He could touch the hatch and he pressed against it to get his balance.. His head was against the wood of the hatch door if he stood upright. He pushed up with his hands and to his amazement, the hatch opened and evening light shone into his prison.

He gripped the sides of the opening and pulled himself out of the room onto the grass. He rolled onto his back and lay there, breathing heavily through his mouth, tears flowing down his face.

He couldn't rest though. He had to hide.

As he leaned across to close the hatch, the door at the top of the stairs opened.

'He's getting away!' the woman shouted as she ran down the steps. The men followed her and ran to the hatch as it crashed closed. The men ran up the stairs again and out of the front door.

Aaron saw some bushes close by and he dragged his pain racked body to them, and he pushed his way under them and hoped that they wouldn't find him.

He had no chance. It was the woman who spotted him first. She saw his foot and pulled it until Aaron was uncovered. he raised his hands over his face as she brought the hammer down on him. He felt his bone in his arm crack as the hammer came down. He didn't cry out; he didn't have the energy to do anything other than protect his face. He heard the creak of the hatch opening and he was dragged to the opening and pushed over the edge. He crashed down onto the table that splintered under his weight. He couldn't move. He was winded, and his back hurt. His entire body from the waist down felt like it was on fire.

He was motionless, unable to get out of the way as the woman with the hammer came at him again. This time she wasn't alone, and two men lifted him and twisted the chains around his arms so that he would no be able to fight. He cried out as the chains pulled his arms outwards.

'He's not going to last long. Maybe it's time to get a replacement ready now.' the man said as he looked at the victim hanging in front of him. His head was down and blood dripped from his mouth. Blood ran down his legs, and dripped off his toes onto the ground. His clothes were torn and covered with blood and he was dying.

'If you kill him, it doesn't matter. He wasn't as good as I thought he would be.' sighed the man, and he left the woman to do as she wished.

She swung the hammer at his unprotected side and smiled as the bruise seemed to well up almost straight away. Killing him wasn't the plan, but if he died, who would care? He was disposable. They could get another.

She swung the hammer at his arm. This time he screamed weakly as the skin on his broken arm broke and white bone stuck through the wound.

He didn't raise his head. She grabbed his hair and tilted his head back and kissed his bleeding mouth hard and deep.

Aaron thought he would be sick. It was like a lover's kiss, yet she was hurting him, likely going to kill him.

The poor man was confused. Hate he could understand, but not this.

She pressed her lips hard against his and bit him until blood flowed. Then she let go, and swung the hammer again, across his spine again. Again, all sensation ceased below the point of impact, and he thought this time he was broken.

He moaned softly and passed out.

-0-0-0-

'This is no good. The son of a bitch isn't going to talk.'

'Meantime, Hotch could be dying.' Emily said, pressing her hands against the glass as if that would make him say where he was.

Dave was getting more and more frustrated. His chest was hurting now and every time he asked a question, the damned lawyer interrupted him.

he left the room and paced the corridor outside. They just needed to know where Aaron was. He needed to offer him a deal but Dave hated that. It was almost as if they were getting away with what they'd done because they happened to know something. He clenched his fists in an uncharacteristic rage, and went back in the room.

'Maybe I can offer you a deal.' he said. 'You tell me where my colleague is being held, and I'll drop the assault charge.'

'In writing please.' the lawyer said. Dave felt like smacking his stupid face.

'I'll get it. So get ready to tell me what I need to know.'

He left the room again and made a phone call. He went and stood by the fax machine and waited impatiently. After about five minutes the fax came through and Dave snatched it up and ran back to the interview room.

'Here's your proof. Now where is my colleague?'

Marsden looked at his lawyer, who nodded slightly.

'Give me a piece of paper and I'll write it down for you.'

He jotted down an address on the paper that Dave gave him, and slid it across the table to Dave. He picked it up and ran from the room. As he left Marsden called after him,

'I think he's dead though.'

Dave ignored it, and Reid, Emily and Morgan came out of the observation room at the same time.

'We have it!' Dave said. 'And we need to hurry.'


	7. Back Up

**Revealed by Fire  
**Chapter 7  
Back Up

"_**All I expect is to stand by your side. When will you turn and believe me?" – Leslie Fish and the Dehorn Crew – When Will You Turn?**_

It felt like a long drive, not knowing what they would find at the end of it.

Would Hotch be alive still? Or had they killed him as Marsden had said. Dave glanced across at Reid who was riding shotgun, and noted his wide frightened eyes. He could feel his own heart pounding in his chest as they got closer to the address where Marsden had said Hotch would be found.

No body spoke as the car pulled up outside the house.

Dave took it in at a glance. A normal house in a spaced out row. There was nothing sinister about it. The four agents got out of the car and Morgan and Emily headed round the back. Dave and Reid went to the front door.

'FBI! Open the door.'

There was no sound from inside the house. Dave and Reid took a stance on either side of the door and Reid reached across to open it. The door swung inwards, and Dave and Reid entered the house.

They found themselves in a long narrow hall with doors leading from it. Reid opened the first door. It opened into a sitting room, obviously recently vacated judging from the coffee cups on the table. Dave swung round as he heard someone running past the door.

'Freeze! FBI!'

The man in the hall raised his gun at Dave, but Dave was faster and got off a shot before the man had even straightened his gun.

Morgan and Emily were out back. When they heard the shot they rushed into the house.

'Search the place. Hotch has to be here somewhere.' Dave said.

The four agents split up and began searching the rooms. Reid took the door at the end of the corridor.

The door had a metal sheet riveted onto the back. He reached through the door and felt for a light switch. The basement was bathed in a yellow light from the single low wattage bulb. Spencer peered through the dim light and saw something that would be etched onto his brain as long as he lived.

A man was hanging from chains that had been attached to the ceiling. A woman stood by him, holding the man's head up with one hand and wielding a bloody hammer with the other. Reid saw cast off spray across the walls and ceiling, and he suddenly realised what he was looking at.

'Get away from here.' the woman said, 'or I will certainly kill him.' She raised the hammer, and was about to smash it into Aaron's head again. Reid raised his gun and shot her. The hammer clattered to the ground. It seemed to fall in slow motion and Reid saw dark hair stuck in the blood on the claw. She had already hit Aaron around the head with it. Was it too late? Reid ran forwards towards his friend.

The sound of the shot brought the others running down to him.

'I've found him! I've found Hotch!' Reid yelled as he ran across the floor and took Aaron's weight around the waist.

His head was resting on Reid's shoulder. Reid could feel the warmth of his blood on his shirt.

-0-0-0-

The sound of Reid's voice penetrated Aaron's subconscious, and he tried to open his eyes. He managed to open them a little but he couldn't raise his head to look at him. He felt the strength of Reid's arms around him and he wanted to cry with sheer joy.

He felt gentle hands un winding the chains from his broken arms, and the softness of a coat as he was laid down on the floor. He fought to open his eyes and look upon his rescuers. Hands touched his face and kind voices called to him. He wanted to tell them how elated he felt being near his friends again, but he couldn't speak or move. He just felt their love in the way they touched him.

He was crippled and dying, but he didn't care any more. He was in the arms of people who loved him and that was all that mattered now. He closed his eyes again and drifted.

-0-0-0-

He was now laying on Emily's coat. Dave was kneeling at his head, gently touching his battered face. Aaron's head was resting on Dave's knees. His nose was broken and he had what looked like a bite mark on his bottom lip. There was blood all over him; it was difficult to see where it was coming from.

But he was alive...... just.

Morgan was calling the paramedics. They had to be quick. They thought that Hotch was dying. Both of his arms were broken, one had bone showing through the skin, and he was bleeding still. He had severe head trauma

'Aaron...' whispered Dave gently. 'You're with friends now. Just hold on a little longer.' He wanted to tell him how he felt, and he promised himself that the first chance he got he would disclose his feelings to him.

Aaron heard Dave's voice, and tears ran from his eyes. He had thought Dave was dead – that was what he had been told, and yet here he was, touching him, holding his hands with gentle fingers. Dave brushed the tears aside.

'It's ok, Aaron. Just stay with me now..... '

Emily watched from the bottom of the stairs, unable to bring herself any closer. She longed to be where Dave was, but she knew that her feelings for him were superficial and cruel. She knew that she had broken his heart before and was quite capable of breaking it again. So she stayed away.

They could hear the sounds of the approaching paramedics coming closer to the house.

No body moved. Emily stood with her gun in her hand hanging by her side. Morgan stood beside her with a hand across his mouth. Reid and David knelt beside Aaron who lay on the floor motionless. The paramedics ran down the steps and reached his side.

'Please stand back.' one of them said, 'and let us reach him.'

Reid and Dave stood and stepped back from the broken man on the floor. The four agents watched as the 'medics did their work, trying to save him.

'No response to stimuli below the waist.'

'He has blunt force trauma to the head and back. He could have a broken spine.'

'Move him carefully. We have to get him back as quickly as possible.'

They watched as the broken body of their boss was lifted onto a gurney and carried out of the basement to the waiting ambulance. They couldn't move for a moment, then Dave said,

'Reid, go in the ambulance, we will follow in the car.

Reid looked at Dave with gratitude from his heart. he realised how difficult that had been to say, and he appreciated the kindness that Dave was showing. He hesitated just for a slit second, then he ran up the steps in pursuit of the 'medics.

-0-0-0-

By the time Reid reached the ambulance, Aaron was intubated and on a heart monitor. Reid noticed for the first time the head injuries and wondered how Aaron could be still alive. He thought of the possibility of brain damage and he felt sick.

A woman had done this to him. She had been beating him with a hammer when he came into the basement. He looked down at his gun on his belt. It wasn't often that he used his gun in the field, and he prayed that he had used it on time on this occasion. If it was too late, he didn't know what he would do.

Nothing was more important to him than Aaron's happiness, but so far he hadn't been able to be happy. Hotch rarely smiled, but since Hayley it had become so much rarer. Aaron deserved happiness, but as long as he stayed in this job, it would always be out of reach.

Maybe he would have to leave the BAU now, if his injuries were too bad. And if that happened, Reid determined that he would leave too and dedicate his life to caring for the man he loved.

He watched as the paramedics strapped him down onto the gurney in the ambulance, and applied the paddles to his chest. His heart was giving up.

He stepped into the ambulance and took Aaron's hand.

'Don't give up, Aaron. Keep living. Too many people love you for you to give up......'

-0-0-0-

Dave watched the medics carry Aaron away. What he wouldn't have given to go with him, to forget what was going on here, and just be with the man he wanted by his side.

'We have work to do here.' he said, 'then we can go to the hospital. We have Marsden and this woman who was with him earlier today. We need to find the people who set this up, and the best way to do that is to wait here for them.'

'I'll go and move the car.' Morgan said, and took the steps two at a time. 'I'll wait in the yard.'

'We will wait here.' Dave said. 'And catch them when they come down for Hotch.'

-0-0-0-

Morgan drove the car up the road and ran back to the house. He hid in some bushes at the corner of the yard, and waited. It was possible that no one would come, since they may have been scared by the arrest of Marsden. But then the blonde woman had come, so might the others.

He waited quietly in his hiding place and said a prayer for Hotch.

There was no place to hide in the basement, so Dave and Emily hid in one of the rooms off the hall way. They wanted the UnSubs in the basement, so that they could lock them in and call for back up.

They waited for over an hour before anything happened. Then Morgan saw a group of five men get out of a car and go past within feet of him to the front door. He watched them go in, laughing and joking about what they were going to do to the dying man in the basement. He silently followed them, keeping to the shadows.

With Emily and Dave, he listened to their plans to abduct another victim.

'This one will be dead after the next visit. We need a constant supply or we'll lose clients.' one of the men said.

The men went to the top of the basement stairs and Dave stepped out of his hiding place to close the door on them. As he did so, a woman came through the front door, and raised her gun.

She didn't say a word, she opened fire on Dave and he fell where he stood. Emily rushed forwards and closed the door and simultaneously, Morgan shot the woman. He saw to his disgust that she was carrying a goad. Had she planned to use it on Hotch?

It was as much as he could do not to shoot her again.

Emily called for back up as she knelt beside Dave.

'I'm ok.' he said, flexing his arm. 'It's not a deep wound.' He stood up and leaned against the wall. 'I think we have most if not all the gang here.'

Back up arrived in the form of the local cops, and Dave handed over to them. The woman Morgan had shot was lying on the floor moaning, and an ambulance was called for her, although Morgan would have preferred to use the goad on her first.

The three agents made their way back to the car, and drove to the hospital where Aaron was fighting for his life.

-0-0-0-

Aaron was in surgery when Dave and the others arrived. Reid was standing with his head against the window watching the rain that had just started to fall. Dave went to him and put his hand on his back.

'Is there any news?' he asked softly.

Reid turned to him, and shook his head.

'He's in surgery. It's bad. His heart stopped twice in the ambulance.' Reid's eyes were red and his face tear stained. Dave embraced him.

Come and sit with us, Spencer.' he said. 'Don't isolate yourself now. We need each other.'

'I don't know what I'll do if he doesn't make it.'

Dave lowered his eyes. He understood. He and Reid needed each other now as never before. There had been a time when Dave wondered at his own wisdom of confiding in Reid. At this moment, though he knew that he had done the right thing. He led Reid to the chairs where the Emily and Morgan were sitting, and they sat silently listening to the rain on the window.


	8. Aftermath

**Revealed by Fire  
**Chapter 8  
Aftermath

"_**Memories are made of this." song lyrics Dean Martin**_

It was a long vigil. Aaron was in theatre for hours, and Dave and the team paced the little room where they had been directed to wait. Doctors came and went but there was never news for them.

'Are you here for Mr Hotchner?'

They all looked up at the doctor, each mentally trying to predict his words by the expression on his face.

The expression was grim.

'Yes we are.' Dave stepped forwards. He reached out to the doctor and only then did he notice the blood on his arm.

'Mr Hotchner has survived the surgery against all expectations.' he said. 'but we don't know how much damage has been inflicted to his brain. We have had to put a metal plate in his head to fix his skull. Whoever did this to him wanted to kill him I think. A less strong man would have died from such severe injuries. It is unlikely that he will walk again, due to blunt force trauma to the spine. But it is remotely possible, when the swelling around his spine has gone down.'

The team stood stunned, unable to speak for a moment, then Emily said,

'Can we see him?'

'Yes, but don't be surprised if he doesn't know you. It's early days yet.'

They followed the doctor along the corridor to a side ward where Aaron was recovering from surgery. The blood had been washed off his skin and he was in a clean hospital gown. There was a bandage around his head, and butterfly clips on the facial wounds. Both arms were strapped up. The doctor explained that they would plaster his arms the following day when the swelling had gone down.

He was breathing through a tube in his mouth, and the gentle swish of the machine was the only sound in the room.

'Hotch....' Emily's hand went to her face. Dave stepped towards the bed, and Reid went around to the other side of the bed. They each took a hand.

Aaron opened his eyes and turned to Dave, but his eyes were dull and lifeless. they showed no recognition as their eyes met. He turned to Reid, and again, there was no reaction.

'Aaron, it's us. Your team. We are here for you.'

Aaron closed his eyes again.

-0-0-0-

Reid and Dave took turns with sitting next to Aaron and chatting to him. Each time they went to his bedside it was like that first time – no recognition at all. Dave needed to tell him something important, but until he knew who they were, it was no good. Aaron lay back on the bed and didn't respond to any one or any thing

The tube was removed from his throat, but still he didn't speak. His friends constantly sat beside him, telling him about cases they were on, playing music for him, touching him, and praying that he would recover.

-0-0-0-

'Aaron, it's me again. Dave. Remember me from yesterday?'

Very slowly, Aaron nodded his head.

'Dave....' he whispered.

Dave thought he was going to dance around the room. The first word that Aaron had said, and it was his name. Dave squeezed Aaron's hand. Aaron concentrated on moving his fingers against Dave's hand.

'Do you know where you are?' Dave asked. Aaron shook his head slightly. 'You are in hospital. You have been hurt but now you are getting better.'

'Where am I?' he asked, his eyes filling with tears.

'You are in hospital, Aaron. It's ok. We are looking after you.'

Aaron turned his head and looked at Dave. He looked like a frightened child, his face pale and his dark eyes wide.

'Who are you?'

_Oh god, Aaron........._

'It's Dave.' he said. 'Your friends are taking care of you.'

Aaron began to cry. Dave felt his eyes filling with tears. Where was the strong Unit Chief that led the team from the front? The man on the bed was destroyed, and Dave didn't know how to fix him again.

He pressed the buzzer for the doctor. He had to wait a while for him, but he didn't want to tell Reid until he knew what was going on.

The doctor checked Aaron out before he said anything. He shone a light into his eyes, and looked back at Dave.

'One of his pupils has blown.' he said. 'That's a fair indication of brain damage. I am sorry. I really am.'

Dave told the doctor the conversation he had had with Aaron. The doctor sighed and looked down. How was he going to deliver this bad news?

Dave wanted to take Aaron in his arms and hold him, make all the badness go away. Instead, he took out his phone and called Reid.

'Hotch is awake, Spencer.' Dave said.

'I'll be right there.' Reid said, and closed his phone.

This was the news that he had been waiting for. News that Aaron was recovering. It had taken a long time, but now the first step had been taken. Reid grabbed his jacket and rushed out of the room.

It wasn't far to the hospital from the rooms that he had taken, that he was sharing with Rossi. It was only a mile or so from the hospital. But to Reid, driving that short distance, it was too far away.

He couldn't wait for the lift in the hospital. He took the stairs two at a time, and ran into the ward. Dave was sitting by him, holding his hand. He turned and looked at Reid with tear filled eyes.

Reid stopped short by the door. 'What is it? What's happened?'

Dave got up and let Spencer sit down in his place. Spencer took Aaron's hand.

'Aaron, it's me, Spencer.'

Aaron turned towards the voice but looked blankly without recognition.

'Aaron?'

Reid turned to Dave. 'He's lost his memory?'

'He isn't forming new ones, Reid. I think ..... the doctor thinks it could be permanent, Spencer.' he said.

Reid sat down on the bed and cried into his hands. How could this be happening? Dave put his arm around him, and Reid cried into his shoulder. Dave felt his own tears coming; tears for the man he loved, and for the terrible loss he felt.

'We need to help him recover, Spencer. It might not be permanent. The doctor said that he has brain damage, but we can help him past that. He needs us now more than he ever has.'

Reid pulled away from Dave and nodded.

-0-0-0-

No feelings or movement below the waist. That's what the doctor said. Aaron wouldn't walk again. His life with the BAU was over. The team members wept when they found out.

'Reid and I will be leaving too.' Dave informed them. 'He needs someone with him twenty four hours a day, and we are going to do that. You are welcome to visit when ever you wish. You are his friends, and it might help him to see you.'

Reid's hands were shaking as he emptied his desk. He loved his life here, but with Hotch leading. Without him, there was no team. He wanted things back the way they had been – Hotch strong and unshakable leader. But that was before Marsden and the gang. Before Aaron was tortured and broken.

They were strangers to him. He had no memory of them, and couldn't make new memories. Each time they saw him it was like seeing a stranger for the first time.

Reid looked up to where Dave was clearing out his office. He had retired once, so it wasn't as big a wrench for him to leave, but Reid had still seen tears in his eyes. Whether they were tears for Hotch, Reid could only guess. Dave caught his eyes and for a moment their eyes locked, each conveying a deep misery to the other.

They had to be quick though. Hotch became frightened when he was left alone for long. Although he couldn't remember them from one visit to the next, he had an instinctive trust in the two men who were giving up their lives to take care of his.

Dave had his stuff in two boxes. He cast his mind back to his first day back, when he caught Emily, Morgan and Reid trying to profile him by what he had in the boxes. He allowed himself a brief smile at the memory, and suddenly thought about Hotch, who had not only been robbed of a future, but also of his past. They would never talk together about how things were. His past was a blank slate, but he would never understand that.

Dave's smile vanished.

Dave and Spencer carried their things down the lift to the car that they were borrowing. They would go to the hospital now, and collect Hotch, and take him home.

-0-0-0-

The staff had got him ready to leave. He was wearing an open neck shirt and jeans, and Dave felt emotion crush him as he remembered his love for him. He was in a wheelchair, strapped around the waist to keep him upright. He looked distressed and afraid when Reid and Rossi came into the ward.

'What happened?' Reid asked, rushing to his side.

'He didn't want to get dressed.' one of the orderlies said. 'We had to hold him down to dress him.'

Rossi was furious. 'How dare you treat him like that. What are your names? I am going to report you to your manager.'

The two orderlies looked stunned. What a fuss over a cripple! He couldn't remember it anyway.

Reid pushed the wheel chair, and Dave walked beside it, and they walked to the lift. The car was parked in a no parking zone just outside the doors. Reid opened the car and Dave undid the strap around Aaron, and lifted him out of the chair, Aaron reached around his neck and held tight, total trust in him. It broke Dave's heart.

He weighed a fraction of what he had before. He felt too light in his arms as he sat him in the front of the car and strapped him in. Reid folded the wheel chair and put it in the back of the car, and got in behind Aaron. He reached over the back of the chair and put his hands on Aaron's chest. Aaron leaned his head back and rested it on Reid.

Dave drove back to Dave's house. He had had it adapted for a wheel chair, and he and Reid had decided that it was the best for Hotch. Dave had parted with his dogs. He didn't want anything to frighten Aaron now. Reid had sold his apartment and moved in with Dave.

Dave got the chair as Reid lifted Aaron out of the car. It was heartbreaking to see this broken damaged man as he was now compared to what he had been, but they had to keep it together as long as Aaron was awake.

He had had a stressful day so they took Aaron straight to his bedroom and laid him on the bed. He was like a child as they got him ready for bed. He hated showers, so for tonight, they let him go straight to sleep. They covered him over with the quilt and each kissed his forehead good night.

'Good night, Aaron.' Dave said. He would never have the chance to tell him how he felt now. That chance had gone. He turned away and left the room, Reid followed him, and they clung to each other in the corridor outside the room and wept on each other's shoulders.

**E N D**

**A/N Shall I do a short epilogue or leave it here?**


	9. Epilogue

A/N This might be a bit sad. You might need tissues......

**Revealed by Fire Epilogue**

Aaron was sitting in his chair, supported with a strap across his chest. It wasn't tight – Spencer and Dave never allowed it to hurt him. It was just enough to stop him from slipping down.

He didn't know who these people were who looked after him. He had never seen them before but the feeling he got from them was one of safety and peace. Now was all he had. Sometimes he would get flashes of something, but he couldn't communicate with the ones who came and took care of him. He could no longer speak. But it wasn't too hard. He had no memory of 'before' this moment. He was always new, reborn every minute, never afraid, not remembering fear. Just safety and peace.

Safety and peace.......

'Are you all right, Aaron?'

A voice. Loving and kind. A hand adjusts the strap, and checks on his legs. He sometimes got pain in his legs. He didn't know why, and sometimes not even touching by these ones taking care of him made the pain go away.

That was when he cried, when the pain got bad, and they would lay him out on the bed and massage his body; trying to help him, but the pain was like knives in his legs, and the touching didn't always make it go away.

'Dave, Aaron is in pain.' Reid said.

Dave tried to understand what that must be like – being in pain, and the only way to communicate was by tears. It happened several times a day, and usually ended with a seizure. The doctors had said that he didn't have long. The brain damage was extensive, and he was blind in one eye. His organs were packing up one by one. He was due for dialysis the following day, and that always made him cry – it frightened him to be in a hospital. Dave thought it was a flash of memory, but the doctors assured him that he didn't get them any more. Not now he was dying.

Someone was loosening the strap. They were helping him now. He felt the softness of the bed and he was laid out on it, and the gentleness of loving hands touching him. He felt ill, sick and light, as if he could float away. But the pain kept him down, and the hands rubbed the pain away. The tears stopped, and he smiled. They liked it when he smiled. Sometimes he would hear them laugh and he wanted to too, but he couldn't remember how.

A flash. People hurting him. Why? Who were they? The gentle hands turned into wicked hands and the pain came back. He tried to move away from them, and they stopped touching him.

The pain lessened, and he felt the safety again.

He slept in the bed, with one of the people with him. They held him tight as if protecting him. Sometimes they kissed him, but he couldn't remember that. Each time was the first time. Each new memory was a first memory.

When he was in pain, his whole world hurt. When he was at peace, it was forever. There was only love that was in both universes. Only love transcended.

'Aaron it is time to sleep now.' a voice said. He tried to remember the face he was looking at but he had never seen this man before. But there was an inherent trust. He smiled at the man, and felt strong arms around him as they undressed him and covered him over.

The kiss goodnight on the forehead, and the feel of someone lying next to him. Arms around him and he drifted into that world of sleep.

In his dreams he could remember. In his dreams he could understand and talk to people. In his dreams, people hurt him, and he cried in his dreams.

'Wake up, Aaron.......'

A gentle shake and Aaron opened his eyes.

The man had his arms around him, saying soothing things and stroking him.

'I won't let anything hurt you, Aaron. You are safe now.'

In response Aaron reached out a shaky arm and touched his face. An older man - lifted Aaron's head and held it against his chest. He felt wetness on his face. Why was this man's face wet? Aaron didn't understand.

'Do you want me to take over?' Reid asked, seeing Dave's tears.

'No, I'm ok. I just find this so hard. I can remember Aaron when I first knew him – so full of promise, so full of life. I never imagined he would end up like this. I still can't believe it's happening.'

Spencer sat on the bed next to Dave.

'Nor can I.' he said. The doctor told me something last time he came. I wasn't sure whether to tell you or not.'

Dave looked at Reid. 'He hasn't got long now has he?'

'A few weeks is all he has. We need to make it a good few weeks.'

Dave's tears flowed unchecked. 'Oh god. Weeks. How can we make it good for him. He's trapped in hell. What can we do?'

'The doctor also said he would have died a year ago if it wasn't for our care. We have done what we can, and we will carry on doing it until he dies.'

Dave closed his eyes and pressed his face into Aaron's hair. It was too long. Aaron got frightened when they tried to cut it. So they had let it grow.

'I'll get some coffee.' Reid said. Aaron was sleeping again, and Dave rested him down on the bed again. Each time he kissed him goodnight he was afraid it would be the last time. He sat on the bed and watched him sleep. He had never got the chance to tell him that he loved him. He would never have the chance again. He rested a hand on his chest and felt it rise and fall as he slept. Innocent and open, like a child that he had become.

A few weeks.

Spencer came back with the coffee and Dave took his mug gratefully.

'There must be something we can do. I don't want him to die.' Dave was crying now, tears flowing and his shoulders shaking as he realised fully what was going to happen. Spencer put his arm around his shoulder and took the coffee from him. He drew him close and hugged him. Dave put his arms around Spencer and they clung to each other.

'We have to sleep, Dave. Aaron had dialysis in the morning. He can't miss that.'

'He get's so frightened. He is afraid even of going in the car now. It's as if he can remember all the bad but none of the good.'

'I know. We will have to make it up to him when he gets back. Remember how much he likes ice cream?'

Dave laughed despite his tears.

'How could I ever forget!' he said. 'We'll get him ice cream again. Shall we take him to buy it, or shall one of us go while he is in the renal unit?'

'We could get it while he's there. He won't know we've gone. They had to sedate him last time, and he usually sleeps through it.'

Dave sniffed and wiped his wet face. 'Ok, that's a done deal then.'

'We could invite Garcia.'

'That's a good idea. She's the only one who seems to be able to cope with how Aaron is. She was great last time. Made him laugh.'

The only time he had laughed in over a year........

'I'll call her now.'

'It's late, Spencer. Best wait until morning.

Spencer smiled. 'Guess you're right.' he said. 'Are you all right tonight, or do you want me to take over?'

'I'm fine, Spencer. Thank you anyway.'

Dave lay down next to Aaron and rested his hand across his waist, and he closed his eyes. Spencer left them and returned to his room.

A few weeks..........

-0-0-0-

Garcia promised to get the ice cream so that Dave and Spencer could stay with Aaron in the renal unit. When they got there, Aaron was already in an agitated state, and he was difficult to control. He was crying with fear and the Doctor had to give him a sedative before they undid the strap holding him. He calmed down as the sedative took effect, and Dave and Spence held his hands as the tubes were attached.

He fell asleep, a drug induced sleep, without dreams, they hoped, because they wouldn't be able to wake him this time.

They took it in turns to read to him, although the doctors had said it was a waste of time. But if he could hear anything, they wanted it to be their voices, not the machines that he could hear.

Garcia was waiting by their car when they came out. Aaron was still asleep, and the doctor said it could be an hour before he woke up. That was good. It gave them time to get him home first.

They strapped him into the car in the back seat with Garcia, and Dave and Reid sat in the front. They were glad of the little respite that Garcia gave them. She was a kind gentle person, and loved Aaron.

Once home, Dave got the chair out and Reid lifted Aaron into it. Garcia watched sadly. She wanted to cry, but she held back the tears. they wanted to make Aaron happy. She wanted to help.

When they were settled into what had once been Dave's living room, Garcia got out the ice cream. She handed Aaron a spoon which he grasped with excitement.

Did he know? Did he remember Garcia from before? Or did he sense her love?

It was a fun, although a messy evening. Aaron laughed when he tasted the ice cream, and Dave, Spencer and Penelope cried in response.

They ate ice cream, drank a little and chatted about old times – like the time Aaron had sent Garcia flowers from Gideon – and laughed. Garcia stayed the night as she had had a drink, and Spencer slept with Aaron. Dave spent most of the night in the living room talking to Garcia. Very few people could really understand what they were going through, but she could.

He told Penelope what the doctor had said, and she hugged Dave. It was a terrible loss to have to think about, but in reality, the wonderful man Aaron Hotchner had died over a year before.

Penelope fell asleep on the couch, and Dave covered her with a throw, and went to bed himself. He looked in at Spencer and Aaron before he went to bed.

Aaron didn't wake up again.

-0-0-0-

"_**On the **__**death**__** of a **__**friend**__**, we should consider that the fates through confidence have devolved on us the task of a double living, that we have henceforth to fulfil the promise of our **__**friend**__**'s life also, in our own, to the world.**__**"**_

_**Henry David Thoreau **___


End file.
